Special on Rolex watches in time for Father's Day, graduation, or just because!

After many decades, we are discontinuing our relationship with Rolex watches in favor of expanding our Breitling presence. This gives our customers a great opportunity to get that special buy on a Rolex, one of the best timepieces made. Our entire collection of Rolex watches is now available at prices discounted from 10% to 25%. These watches are all new, from our regular stock, with boxes and warranties. Come by soon for the best selection! In-stock watches only; no special orders. Stop by soon for the best selection!

June's most-recognized birthstone is the pearl, long a symbol of femininity and wealth. Pearl, with its origins in the sea, rivers or lakes, was once thought to spring from an angel's tear. Numerous cultures felt that a pearl was the result of an oyster's being impregnated by a dewdrop. They are associated with purity and innocence, and they are said to enhance a woman's beauty. A pearl is actually formed when an irritation of some sort, either a small particle of shell or sand, or, in the case of cultured pearls, a bead or a bit of tissue inserted by man, arrives inside the oyster or mussel. The mollusk, in order to protect itself, covers the irritant with layers of a substance similar to mother of pearl, resulting in a beautiful, glowing pearl. Not every pearl produced by an oyster is jewelry-worthy; the majority of them do not have the glow or iridescence required. Once pearls are harvested from the oysters, after two to three years of growth, they must be matched for size, color, roundness and luster. To have a single finished strand of beautiful, lustrous pearls, experts must have sorted through thousands of individual pearls, making it a truly special piece of jewelry.

Pearls should be treated with care. "Last on, first off," should be the rule. Put them on after you have applied all makeup, hairspray or cologne, as these substances can damage the surface. Wipe them with a soft cloth when you take them off, and have your pearl necklace restrung every few years. Given such simple care, a beautiful strand of pearls should last you a lifetime.

Alexandrite is one of the rarest of gems. It is a form of the mineral called chrysoberyl, and has the magical property of changing color from wine-red to green. Under incandescent light, an alexandrite is a beautiful burgundy in color. But under fluorescent light, it changes to a rich green! This happens through a process known as selective absorption of light, but what it means for the wearer is that you have a rare gem that is a surefire conversation starter. The historic source of alexandrites is the Ural Mountains of Russia, though there is a more recently discovered source in Brazil. The Brazilian gems, also rare, change color from violet to a bluish-green.

Diamond Empowerment Fund

Gleim the Jeweler is proud to announce that we have just joined the Diamond Empowerment Fund, a non-profit international organization with the mission to support education initiatives in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource with the belief that sustainable development through education is essential to empower both individuals and society to reach their fullest potential. It is currently doing this work by supporting education initiatives in diamond-producing African nations. Started by Russell Simmons, DEF feels that Africa's wealth of extractive minerals should be put to best use by the citizens, as has been happening in Botswana for many years. As stated by former President of Botswana, F.G. Mogae, "For our people in Botswana every diamond you buy means food on the table, better living conditions, better health care, safe drinking water, more roads and much, much more. It means that we can build new power stations and expand our electricity network in the country" You can learn more about this organization at www.diamondempowerment.org.

Do You Have Jewelry You Are Not Wearing?

The mainstay of our inventory is our estate jewelry. This collection is comprised of jewelry that ranges from merely a few years to more than a century old. It provides one-of-a-kind pieces, at excellent values, giving you the opportunity to acquire something that no one else will be wearing. Because of this, we are always looking for additions to our collection. If you have jewelry you are no longer wearing, stop by to let us look at it. We will take it on consignment, or take it in on trade for something you will wear more. It's great way to make use of jewelry that might be simply sitting in a drawer. We'll even take much your broken gold jewelry in for its gold value.